Lukas Gregor You don't have to live a nomadic lifestyle to think about what kind of backpack to hang on your back. If you're like me, you want the best for your laptop and accessories. And at the same time, don't forget about your comfort. I have one tip for you, it's called the Mamba daypack from Booq.
It was an order at first sight. I peered into it and wanted it without reaching forward. A bit of a risk, but it paid off. I haven't had experience with Booq yet, but you know, I'll go with intuition and emotions are sometimes stronger than the fear of inexperience. However, it is enough to look at the promotional photos, the elegant design seems to say: this one will not disappoint you. But gradually...
For four years, a red colored Crumpler kept me company. Actually, I can't complain about it, it hasn't let me down in all that time and it's still alive without any tremors or damage. It's big enough, but sometimes actually too much. And its shape... well, I gave it as a recommendation at the time, today I know that its "parachute-like" appearance does not create a very good impression. I therefore looked around for a smaller backpack that would look elegant and decent in terms of cut and color. Booq has a portfolio of products that fulfill such an idea, but it was the Mamba daypack that really charmed me with its appearance. Of course, design is not everything, but I'll dwell on it for a while.
When unpacking, I was pleased with the material. The use of nylon and jute gives the backpack sufficient strength and durability. I read that and tried it at the same time. The advantage is not only waterproofness, pleasant to the touch, but I also like that the backpack has its firm shape that holds. In the past, I always had to lean on something to prevent it from tilting and falling over, this is not the case with the Booq. Of course, such shape stability can have its limitations. If I put the entire cable for the Macbook, a small hard drive and maybe a case with glasses in the front outer pocket, the pocket does not bulge out even a little bit, so the elegant cut of the backpack does not have a "gap". However, there will be some bulging inside the backpack, so less stuff will fit in the main compartment, or it's harder to put in there (large books or - as I tried - a Brita 1,5 liter water filter kettle). Perhaps I feel and solve this problem thanks to my experience with the Crumpler, which, in addition to the laptop pocket, had one huge space, almost "inflatable" to the outside, so I could even fit a pack of six 1,5-liter water bottles in there.
If I was talking about pockets, then know that the Booq only has one external one (about the size of an A5 book), inside the backpack there is a compartment for inserting a laptop, wide enough to fit an old Macbook or the current Pro Retina (so thinner) with an iPad - but that's really enough. There is a smaller pocket sewn to this pocket, already made of soft fabric, so it accommodates a lot of things, while the laptop pocket has a firm shape and padding to avoid any adverse pressure on the laptop from both sides. In the smaller pocket, I put small cables (for iOS devices, hard drives, adapters for projecting a Mac with a projector/monitor) and actually everything small that I want to have quickly at hand.
To this pocket, they also sewed two smaller ones (they will definitely fit a phone) and two for writing utensils. It's practical, but I'm still wondering if it wouldn't be even more practical if the very pocket where I place the small cables could somehow be attached and turned on. Definitely not Velcro. I hate this one because it either doesn't come off at all (when the backpack is new) and makes noise, or it almost doesn't hold anymore. But maybe a button or a regular zipper? The thing is, this pocket tends to be "wide open" and gets in the way a bit when I put things in the main compartment of the backpack. Since the backpack has a really strong frame, it cannot be opened very much from the top. Well... the picture below shows that yes, if we "break" one half, which I personally don't really want to do. Maybe I'm harboring unnecessary worries, but it seems to me that I could influence the frame of the backpack in the future, either deforming it or simply that it wouldn't hold so tightly.
What I liked about the Crumpler was its back and shoulders, comfortable enough even with a heavy load. Booq is not far behind. The entire area of the back and shoulders are sufficiently "tuned" for your comfort, nothing presses, does not cut, the backpack fits very well on my back. The bottom - also because of the design - has no other material, no rubber, from which it would be enough to just wash or wipe off the dirt. It is a certain tax for elegance. After all, this backpack is probably not supposed to be used for traversing the hills, it's definitely meant to be taken to school, unless you're carrying a lot of books (which you probably aren't) or to work. It will also look good on the backs of managers and other types of "tie men". If that's what you're looking for, it's a very good choice when combined with a secure background for stored technology.
